Dream a Little Dream
by RocketGurl
Summary: (AuronLulu maybe others) Lulu couldn't believe the intensity of the dreams she was having..it was like the emotions she experienced were real; and it drained her. When the danger climaxes will everyone come out alive?
1. Join Me, My Love

A/N: An idea that came to me. Warning: This will be an Auron x Lulu fic, with past Lulu x Chappu. I'll probably add hints of other pairings as well. 

Disclaimer: I don't own FFX or any of its characters. Shucks. 

"Join Me, My Love"

            _Lulu sighed in contentment, leaning back and resting against a hard, warm, and inviting chest. Chappu held the woman against him with tenacious arms, resting his chin against the top of her head and inhaling the scent of her hair. His lips turned upward in an easy smile of contentment. Around the pair, white sand stretched out for miles, broken only by the coast of beautiful, sea-green waters. The salty smell of the ocean filtered through on small gusts of wind. _

_            The Black Mage sighed as she felt her lover rub his hands up and down her bare arms, sending a pleasant tingling sensation up and down her spine. His hands were gentle, handling her almost delicately, as if she were easily breakable. And priceless. _

_            "I love you," he whispered into her ear, his breath disturbing the hair that rested lightly over her ear. Lulu smiled happily and leaned back even further into his embrace. Her nose was filled with his warm, piquant scent, combined with the bitter, salty smell of the sea. _

_            The hands moving up and down her arms suddenly stopped, and the woman frowned at the abrupt loss, sensing a feeling of discontent behind her. The warmth that filled her became cold and chilling, and she was plagued by an emotion foreign to her. Fear. _

_            "Chappu?" she whispered inquisitively, shouting out in surprise when his fingers suddenly gripped tightly into her arms, his grasp bruising against her pale skin. "Chappu, stop!" She tried to pull away, but only managed to twist around so she was facing him. The face that looked back at her wasn't of her lover…the face was of a demon, distorted and mangled. In short, it was hideous. _

_            She wrenched away from the beast, running away as quickly as she could, her bare feet kicking up sand that hindered her flight. The insistent patter of feet behind her told her she was being pursued. Up ahead, she saw a still body lying prone; blood pooled around the carcass, the red staining the surrounding ground crimson. The body was lying face down, and she turned it over slowly, gasping as she recognized the face. _

_            "Chappu!" she cried, growing desperate at the fiend chasing her, and her dead lover resting in her arms. His tanned body and scarlet blood made a stark contrast against the white sands. She stared down into the man's still face, his eyes closed in an uneasy death. _

_            Suddenly, his eyes snapped open._

_            Lulu screamed. _

_            His mouth contorted into a sinister smirk, and he reached up and wrapped his hands around the woman's neck, squeezing the air from her throat. His eyes glowed a bright red, and his pupils narrowed into angry slits. Lulu choked against his hold, fear shocking her nerves all up and down her body. She could feel her heart thudding violently in her chest. _

_            His voice was unusually deep and menacing as he said, "Join me, my love." _

Lulu's body flew forward as she sat up in bed, her hand immediately covering her mouth in order to stifle her screams. Her chest heaved up and down with her heavy breathing; perspiration dotted her forehead, and she ran the back of her hand over it, swiping away the moist droplets. The silence out in the hallway informed her that she hadn't awoken any of her fellow companions, and for that she was quite grateful. 

            The dream had been so intense…so real. The emotions she had felt, laced within her unconsciousness, had honestly led her to believe the faux reality was real. A wry, completely humourless chuckle escaped her lips. She knew it couldn't be real; Chappu was dead. 

            She hung her head in her hands wearily, feeling the need to allow her eyelids to droop. She was so tired, but didn't want to go to sleep. The dreams were there…

            True, Lulu had always suffered nightmares of Chappu's death. She hadn't actually witnessed the occurrence, but thoughts of it haunted her all the same. And lately her nightmares had been…bad. To the point that she would wake up sobbing, clutching her blankets tightly to her chest. Not only was revisiting Chappu's death a sorrowful, morose feeling…but the terror she felt…it was incomparable. It was like the emotions in the dream…they were just…so real. 

            And when she woke up it was just as horrible. The dreams left her weak and drained, no matter how long she slept. Her sleep was just too restless, accompanied by something else…

            The Black Mage rose from the bed slowly, feeling the springs creak beneath her. The lack of rest she was suffering from might be compromising Yuna's pilgrimage, but there was nothing that could be done to stop it. So Lulu could only hope that the others would fail to notice her frequent stumbling, and the bags that were forming under her eyes. It wouldn't be easy, considering the sharpness of some of her fellow guardians. But Lulu had become quiet effective in hiding her emotions. **That** was a point she prided herself on, and she hoped she could live up to her own expectations. 

            But that was never an easy task. 

            The woman walked over to the window of her inn room, watching the half-light coming through the window. It was the precise moment of the night when it is no longer blackened out, but the sun has not yet risen. This left an oddly chilling light in its wake, making the morning seem brisk and uninviting. 

            There was no sense in trying to sleep once more, especially with dawn soon coming. So Lulu rearranged her room, grabbed her moogle doll, and headed out the door. The inn was quiet and peaceful; it appeared everyone was still sleeping. Slipping quietly through the hallways, the Black Mage stepped out into the early morning air, listening dispassionately as birds twittered above her head cheerily. 

            To her left, Lulu observed an overgrown, lush forest. The very air around the trees appeared damp and hot, which left her feeling very uneasy about this whole trip. Humidity could be a real downer. Especially with the lack of sleep she had been suffering from. Turning from the sight of the forest, the dark-haired woman discovered a brisk stream, meandering from behind the inn. Its soft trickling was barely discernible above the loud songs of the birds. 

            The stream somehow reminded Lulu of her dream, and the soft sounds that the waves had made. It was so strange, how she could vividly recall exact details from each and every dream she'd had. Was it because they seemed so real?…like she was actually experiencing each and every emotion?

            She was so caught up in her musings, that she didn't see the figure resting on the other side of the creek until she had drawn up on the bank across from him. Even if she hadn't recognized his face, the telltale red coat would have given it away. He looked up at her carefully as she caught sight of him. She tried to read his expression, but she could only see her own reflection, visible in his ever-present sunglasses. 

            "Our travels today will be hard," Auron told her, his deep-set voice cutting through the high-pitched noises of the birds. "You should be sleeping." He didn't seem condescending…more like he was just stating a fact. Somehow this annoyed her even more. 

            "I could say the same of you," Lulu replied flippantly, sitting down across from him, her claret eyes studying him from across the stream. She used her sarcasm to curb her anger. It usually worked, too. Auron didn't reply right away, instead choosing to gaze past her (or so she assumed) towards the inn. 

            "All of the guardians need to be in top shape," he told her after a short silence. One of his legs was resting on the ground, and the other was propped up, supporting his free arm. 

            Lulu frowned, her raven eyebrows drawing together while her tone took on a slight icy quality. "I am as ready now as I would be if I slept three extra hours, I assure you, Sir Auron." 

            "Hn."

            Lulu turned away from Auron, gazing back towards the inn. Her demeanor changed, turning more reflective and contemplative, rather than angry. 

            "I care about Yuna, and about the ideal of her pilgrimage," she stated slowly, still staring at the inn. "And I promise you, that I will do everything in my power to make sure our mission succeeds." With that she finally turned her gaze back to her fellow guardian. "Believe me, if there was a problem that would jeopardize Yuna's pilgrimage, I would take care of it."

            "But what if you couldn't take care of it?" Auron queried, almost rhetorically. "What if the problem was so big that you couldn't handle it alone. Would you ask someone to aid you?" He paused. "Or would you allow your own foolishness to be your downfall?"

            Filled to the brim with rightful indignation, Lulu could only manage to grind out, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

            "I don't know," he told her, which wasn't the response she had been expecting. "Why don't you tell me? What's going on, Lulu?" Auron's keen questioning caught the mage off guard, and she had to fight for control within herself. She wanted to tell him about her dreams…she wanted to so badly! Maybe Auron could take away the pain…maybe she could finally sleep peacefully…

            "Nothing is going on," Lulu said sternly, but was able to maintain a calm, controlled tone. "The sooner you learn that, the sooner I'll be able to sleep peacefully once more!" Not realizing her slip-up, the young woman stood and trudged back towards the inn, somehow able to preserve her grace and dignity, although the term "trudged" was definitely an adequate verb.  

            The Black Mage slipped back into her room, sitting on the bed after shutting the door softly behind her. Even through the thick glass on the window, the birds' cheerful chirpings could be heard. 

            'It's none of Auron's business,' she thought to herself, claret eyes gazing at the floor vacantly. She had almost told him…and that was unacceptable. They were only dreams, after all. There was no need to get everyone worked up in a panic because Lulu couldn't handle a few nightmares. That would be embarrassing…not to mention unnecessary. 

            'No,' Lulu decided firmly, 'I will get through this alone, like I have so many times before. After all, they're only dreams. Nothing dangerous or deadly.'

            She would soon discover just how wrong she was. 

@-^--- To Be Continued ---^-@

A/N: Please review! Comments mean so much to me!__


	2. Sweltering Forest Equals Hot Dreams

A/N: Auron and Lulu fans: I have just created a mailing list dedicated to this pairing! I am looking for active members, and I figured, if you're reading an Auron/Lulu fic, then you must like them! So please, please join! You can post fanfiction, fanart, or just discussions. Just snag the URL from my bio. 

I don't know what other pairings besides Auron x Lulu I'll include, so I'll try and keep everything open for a while longer. 

Disclaimer: I didn't own it last chapter, and I don't own it now. 'Nuff said.

                                                                                                                        Sweltering Forest Equals Hot Dreams

            It was so hot! No—scratch that. Hot was much too feeble of a word…sweltering was more appropriate. Scorching would also work…as would blazing. In any case, the temperature was very high.

All around, trees pressed in closely, their feet lathered in undergrowth that also appeared confining. The close proximity was almost claustrophobic, and it simply added to the humidity and uncomfortable nature of the forest. The moisture caused bugs to buzz everywhere—to the utmost annoyance of all of the travelers. 

Lulu in particular was having difficulties with the unbearable heat. Her dress weighed heavily against her body, keeping the damp heat trapped within. Her companions weren't much better off, either. Yuna leaned heavily against her staff as she walked; Rikku was breathing heavily, almost to the point she was panting (much to the mage's discontentment); Kimahri swatted almost sluggishly at the flies with his clawed hands; Tidus, Wakka, and Auron all sported streams of perspiration down their foreheads, the salty water dripping in their eyes. Auron, however, chose not to take off his red coat. 

For a long while no one said anything. The silence that had fallen seemed alien and ominous. Never before had five minutes gone by without some comment from Tidus or Rikku. And now, the only sounds were the buzzings of flies, the occasional snap of a twig under some rookie's boot, and the sporadic grunt from the mouth of a progression member.   

The absence of fiends was another issue of restlessness. There was no excuse for the company's undisturbed, empty traveling. This forest was abandoned and wild—a perfect hotspot that should have the surrounding area teeming to its figurative eyeballs in vicious fiends. But such beasts appeared nonexistent, and though this would have normally cheered them, now it only unnerved them. 

Lulu was finding it hard to pick up her feet, which seemed to want to drag on their own accord. She still felt drained from her restless sleep, and the heat did nothing to help her state. In fact, the damp humidity made her movements practically lethargic, and she was grateful for the scarcity of enemies. It wasn't heartening, but it was welcome all the same. Even if they had come across fiends, Lulu doubted she would have been able to lift her hand to cast even a simple spell upon them. 

            'Auron was right,' she thought, self-disgust burgeoning within her. 'I **am** compromising Yuna's pilgrimage with my fatigue.' Not that anyone else was fairing any better than she was at the moment. 

But somehow, they kept moving…and Lulu felt ready to drop. 

Yuna was leading the group, being the summoner and leader. She set a slow pace, followed very closely by Tidus and Rikku. Kimahri was not far behind, keeping a close eye on the young humans in front of him. Wakka trailed slightly behind Kimahri, and would shoot occasional glances back towards the mage, who would gaze dispassionately past him. Behind Lulu was Auron, who always took up the rear of the group, making sure everyone was safely in front. 

This times, however, the famous guardian did not take up the rear. Lulu's moogle doll stumbled along, trailing the group clumsily. Lulu had put the animated doll on the ground so it could walk on its own…and—quite obviously—it wasn't doing too well. After a particularly nasty trip, the Black Mage turned around swiftly, swaying as the action brought a dizzying blackness that swam through her vision. Once she could see straight she saw Auron had stopped walking, and was staring at her sternly. Turning away from him, Lulu walked towards the fallen moogle doll, picking it up and cradling it close to her chest, more in an act of defense than an act of protectiveness.

It was only a doll, after all. A very clumsily controlled one, at that. 

Yuna stopped and turned around, pressing her staff into the ground and leaning against it wearily. At her ceased movement, the others turned and observed the cause of their halted travels. 

"We need to keep moving." Auron's gruff voice broke through the steamy silence that had been following the troupe all day. He had turned his stare towards Yuna, who was looking back at the guardians with a firm expression. 

"But I only stopped because I saw that you and Lulu has stopped, Sir Auron," she said, not looking for excuses, just stating a fact. The dark-haired woman sighed, glancing up at the summoner. Sometimes Yuna could be so difficult. 

"It is my fault we stopped," she told them, and her voice sounded pathetic even to her own ears. The tone made her wince. "My moogle was doing a horrible job of walking on its own." She said nothing else, expecting that to suffice, and was surprised when Wakka spoke up. 

"Why did you put 'im down in the first place?" the blitzball captain questioned, and he looked at Lulu suspiciously, who gazed back, not blinking. Wakka could be so irritating at times, and he had his perceptive moments. 

"Sir Auron's right," Lulu told the company, if only for a change of subject. "We need to keep moving if we want out of this forest before nightfall." She moved to gain her place back in the line of travelers, stopping cold when Auron whispered:

"If you can handle it, Lulu."

The woman sped up her pace, regaining her position in front of the older guardian. She turned her head back, watching him out of the corner of her eye. His comment had chilled her insides, despite the overwhelming heat. Why did he have to be so damn observing? 

"What is that supposed to mean?" she hissed quietly, her arms gripping around her doll even tighter. She stumbled, barely visibly, when her boot-clad foot hit a particularly treacherous rock. After regaining her footing, Lulu turned around fully in order to keep watch on the path in front of her. She could almost feel Auron frown from behind her. 

"Just remember what I said earlier, mage," he whispered threateningly, and Lulu suddenly realized that he had come much closer without her aware of it, and his breath brushed against her ear. She leapt forward to distance herself, and made the mistake of bumping into Wakka. He turned and cast her a strange glance, in wonderment over her obvious lack of grace. She was normally much more refined. 

"What's gotten into you, Lu?" he whispered over his shoulder, running the back of his hand absently over his forehead to catch a falling droplet of perspiration. 

"It's just the heat," Lulu told him, her countenance carefully neutral, devoid of expression. "Everyone's been feeling the effects." Wakka apparently accepted these excuses, and with a slight nod he turned back around, facing forward once more. 

"But you're feeling more than the heat," said a deep-set voice from behind her, and Lulu felt her muscles tightening angrily in response. Her violet nails gripped into the soft flesh of her moogle doll. She didn't reply, because she knew Sir Auron was correct in his observations, and he was also justified in his reprimands. She was compromising the pilgrimage with her exhaustion. This group could not afford to have such lack of dedication. 

'But how am I supposed to stop these dreams from occurring?' Lulu thought wearily, struggling to take a deep breath of the sticky, heavy air. 'I am practically powerless in this situation.' Auron had wanted her to share with him what was holding her back, because he thought she was unable to handle it on her own. But what could he do to help her sleep peacefully? There was nothing for that, and she would have to deal with it on her own, no matter how hopeless it seemed. Some small, dubious part of her doubted that it was just the dreams hurting her. She slept, just not dreamlessly. Surely these nightmares shouldn't cause her to feel so…drained. It wasn't normal…it wasn't right. 

Yuna stopped all of a sudden, turning around and facing her procession of guardians. The rest of the group stopped in accordance, looking towards their leader expectantly. 

Tidus asked, "What's the hold-up?" 

Yuna cast him a kind glance, before turning towards each member in turn. "I think we should get some rest. I think we're all weary enough to gain a sufficient amount of sleep." Rikku frowned, placing her hands on her hips. 

"I'm not tired! And besides, we need to keep moving…it's barely even midday. We've barely gained any ground at all!" The Al Bhed girl kicked up a leaf negligently, ending her short tirade. 

Wakka nodded in agreement in silent support of Rikku. "I don't wanna be anywhere near this forest when night falls, ya?" Kimahri let out a low growl to gain their attention, shaking his head slowly and deliberately when he had their gazes. 

"We go too slow to make it out today," the Ronso said, folding his muscled arms across his chest. "Kimahri with Yuna." Auron, who was silent before now, spoke up and added his two cents.

"It's best if we wait for nightfall," he said dispassionately, his shaded eyes staring out into the forest thoughtfully. "We can travel under the cover of darkness." His tone implied that all arguments would be futile. 

"Yes," Lulu stated in acquiescence. "And by then the day's prime would have finished, and the temperature would have cooled." To these points, no one could find a disagreement. 

"Then it's settled," Yuna said with a smile, tilting her head to the side. "We rest 'til nightfall." 

@-^---     ~*~*~*~     ---^-@

            _Lulu glanced around her warily, taking in the great, craggy terrain that littered the area. Huge rocks jutted haphazardly out of the ground, looming up way above the mage's head, and casting the all ready gloomy atmosphere into a deeper shadow. For reasons unknown to her, a sharp, petrifying fear totally encompassed her, and her body quivered slightly at the overwhelming terror. Her ruby eyes, wide and fearful, darted back and forth. She took a hesitant step forward…_

_…and stopped abruptly. A faint trickling sound was heard at her feet, and she gazed down slowly…in fact, everything seemed to be in slow motion. _

_Her feet were covered in blood; she had stepped into a pool of blood. The puddle leaked off into a trail of the crimson liquid. The trail meandered in a healthy measure, before turning sharply and disappearing behind a large crag. Unable to tear her gaze away from the rock, Lulu began following the trail. Her eyes trained to the ground, she turned the corner of the rock to find…_

_            Nothing. The blood just suddenly stopped, with no source whatsoever. The woman sighed slightly in relief, frowning when apprehension rose over her. She felt a slight drip on the back of her neck, feeling the drop slide down her neck, following its curve and turning towards her front. It itched along her collarbone, dipping down between the curves of her breasts. She gazed down, her breath catching in her throat…blood was dripping on her! _

_            Fear gripped her heart in its icy grip. She turned frantically to the rock, feeling her stomach turn at the sight. Tidus was tied to the rock, bloody and broken. His throat was sliced, and his eyes gaped open at her, unseeing. Lulu produced a strangled, choked sound, taking a step away from the limp body above her. _

_            Suddenly, Tidus's head slid clean off his neck, smashing into the ground where Lulu had stood seconds before. His neck was completely severed. Her stomach did a dangerous flip, and she tore her stare away from the head, and up towards the body. _

_            Instead of a headless body, she was appalled to discover Chappu gazing down at her, his head atop Tidus's body. She backed away from the sight, still watching the body closely. Chappu's face grinned down at her toothily. _

_            "Where are you going, Lulu?" the head asked, his voice sounding strangely distorted. Unable to face the image, the Black Mage turned and fled. _

_Her feet kicked up rocky sand as she tore across the terrain blindly. She still felt that heart-wrenching, gut-turning fear that had overrode her emotions when she saw the bloodied body. The feelings seemed to consume her; she couldn't think straight!_

_'Come on, Lulu,' she thought to herself sternly, trying to calm her overworking nerves. 'It's just a dream. Snap out of it!'_

_~No!~_

_Another voice, this one stronger and more commanding, forced through her feeble attempts at restoring peace within herself. _

_~This is real.~ The voice insisted. ~Everything is real. You can feel it.~_

_Once again, the emotions overwhelmed Lulu, and she cried out as she tripped over something, bracing herself for the hard impact on the harsh ground. Instead, she landed against something not as hard as rock…_

_She looked up, finding herself thrown against a body. The man underneath her was none other than her fellow guardian, Auron. Lulu froze, letting out an almost inaudible sigh of relief when she noticed that his chest was rising and falling. He wasn't dead like Tidus and Chappu were. In fact, he was staring at her from over the rims of his sunglasses. Lulu began to feel her fear subside, almost like an ocean wave subsides in low tide. _

_Then two things happened. _

_One, Auron wrapped his arms around her waist, flipping so that she was trapped beneath him. This would have been surprising in itself, but then there was a second thing she noticed. _

_His clothes had vanished, and so had hers. _

_A totally new emotion began to crash down upon Lulu. Her head was spinning from the abrupt change—both physical and emotional. She could barely sort out her rapidly fleeting thoughts, as she was too busy concentrating on Auron's warm skin against hers. _

_He lowered his head towards hers and she couldn't help but anticipate…_

Lulu couldn't control it...her sharp awakening.  She shot upwards quickly from her reclined position, breathing heavily and feeling her heart thud rapidly in her chest. One hand rested against her flushed face, and her other hand pressed against her chest, as if trying to muffle the sound of her own heartbeat. She relaxed her seated position slightly, trying to soothe her overburdened emotions. She felt her energy slowly draining away from her, leaving her exhausted, though she had just slept. The soft snores around her told her that her companions were still sleeping. 

The sun was slowly lowering, leaving a blood-red twilight in its wake. The procession would soon return to their weary travels. Lulu pressed both of her palms against her forehead, resting her elbows on her knees. 

'How long can I keep this up?' she asked herself silently, feeling fatigue tug at her eyelids. She felt like she could sleep all day and **still** feel ready to drop. And this dream was different…this dream wasn't all fear. At the end, with Auron…she hadn't felt fear. 

How could she ever look at him straight again? Then again, it shouldn't be too hard. As long as she didn't let her weariness show, no one would question her. After all, they were just dreams. 

But Auron had all ready begun to question her. He suspected something was up. 

But neither Auron nor Lulu knew just how bad the situation really was. 

@-^--- To Be Continued ---^-@

Please, please review!


	3. Disorientation Begins

Author's Note: Whew…it's about time. In the summer, I have so much more time to write. But now that school's started, I've been having troubles prioritizing. ^^ Forgive me?

Disclaimer: I don't own FFX or any of its characters. 

Disorientation Begins

            Without the sun to fuel the forest's greenhouse effect, the temperature dropped considerably; but the sun's absence couldn't remove the damp, muggy humidity that hung so thickly it was almost tangible. Lulu found herself cursing her weighty skirt, which trapped the moisture against her skin. She stopped herself from wishing for a shower, though, knowing on some level that she should be stronger. As a guardian of a summoner, it was expected that she dedicate her life and services to the protection of Yuna, and she shouldn't let small aggravations distract her. 

            Likewise, Lulu forced herself to ignore the heavy fatigue that settled over her muscles. It took all her willpower to complete the simple act of walking, and that fact terrified her. 

            'What's wrong with me?' she wondered silently. 'I just woke up. Why am I still tired?'

            She chose this time to look around at all her companions, gauging their energy levels. Rikku and Tidus were lively and awake as usual; Kimahri and Auron bore the same aura of strength they always held, and Wakka and Yuna held their shoulders straight, no real sign of over exhaustion visible. 

            Lulu was now rightfully worried, and she attempted to rationalize her vexing problem. The leaves and underbrush _swished_ as the company walked through it. With a group so large there was no point in trying to be stealthy; they had found that out much earlier on. 

            'It must be the dreams,' she concluded, no other answer presenting itself. 

            But that didn't explain why she felt _drained_. It felt like all her strength had been sapped from her, when she hadn't done anything more taxing than walking today, and she even had a lengthy nap during their break. 

            The mage took a deep breath, larger than usual, the dank air making it harder to intake sufficient oxygen. Up ahead, Tidus was growing restless, moving from side to side as he walked, pushing a hand through his blonde hair, and sighing audibly over the _crunch, crunch_ of the leaves.

            Before someone could comment on his fidgeting, he said, "Shouldn't we have met a fiend by now? We've been walking through this forest for hours, and how many fiends have we seen? None. Nada."

            "And that's a bad thing?" Rikku asked, placing her hands on her hips. 

            Auron turned his stern look on the girl. "It can very well be a bad thing."

            "Something must have driven the fiends away," Yuna said, calling over her shoulder, as she was leading the procession. 

            "Another larger, stronger fiend, most likely," Lulu pointed out, liking how her voice came out strong and steady, in stark contrast to how she felt. 

            "Then why haven't we seen it before now?" Tidus wondered. 

             "We should count ourselves lucky that we've gotten this far without confrontation," Auron told him, shifting the collar of his red jacket absently. 

            "Well, what kind of fiends live in this area? I mean, what could this stronger fiend be?" Rikku inquired, turning around and walking backwards so she was facing the majority of the group. Lulu wondered what she would do if she tripped. 

            Auron said, "Nothing that could clear a whole forest."

            When Rikku looked ready to ask another question, Lulu spoke up. "Most likely it is foreign to this area, which is why the other fiends ran away—they were poorly adapted to defend themselves." Ah, the comfort of logic. 

            "So how can _we_ expect to defend ourselves?" Rikku asked, throwing her arms up and turning around. Before someone could snap back at her, Yuna said:

            "We're almost out of the forest; the trees are starting to thin out."

            Tidus smiled. "Ah…so the whole thing's become a moot point. And Rikku's dumb questions were just getting interesting."

            "Hey!" Rikku punched him in the arm, smirking when he winced. 

            "We won't need a fiend to fight if we keep beating ourselves up," Auron growled, shooting a glare at the two rowdy guardians. Lulu had to admit Rikku and Tidus often made her patience wear thin. But Auron was harsher with the two, whereas she would choose to ignore them. 

            "Hey, lighten up, old man!" Tidus exclaimed. 

            Despite the way he was looking at the two younger guardians, Lulu couldn't help but wonder if Auron had directed his statement towards her, too. 

            'But how do I stop my dreams?' she mused helplessly.  She prided herself on her strength and independence, and loathed this newfound susceptibility. 

            "Free at last!" Rikku proclaimed as they finally left the consuming pressure of the trees behind. 

            "Hey, Lu….why don't you use a fire spell and annihilate that Yevon-forsaken forest?" Wakka joked with a bright smile, glancing over at Lulu from over his bronze shoulder. She shook her head, but humored him with a wry smile. In her pessimistic weariness, she wondered if she had the power to conjure even a weak fire spell. 

            The moon cast a silvery light in the open field beyond the forest. Without the shelter of the trees, a calm, nightly breeze shifted the long grasses, making soothing whispering noises in the otherwise quiet field. The slight breeze dried the beads of perspiration that had formed on Lulu's forehead, and she swiped at them with her hand, before her skin started itching. Without the hindrances of the forest floor's undergrowth, the mage was able to walk easier, not stumbling every other step. 

            Walking through the tall grass, Lulu wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the spongy foliage and sleep. But the idea, though seductive, was idealistic. If she slept, she'd no doubt dream, and as long as she dreamed, she'd never truly find rest. The thought was frustrating at best but worst-case scenario? 

             She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to consider how her fatigue could be the downfall of Yuna's pilgrimage. Pride and loyalty refused to allow her to resign herself to that fate. 

            When she fell asleep naturally, she was wreaked with emotionally draining dreams. Fine. She was a mage. There were other methods. 

            At the group's next rest stop, Lulu decided she would cast a Sleep spell on herself, sending her into a deep state of unconsciousness. 

            She vowed to get some rest.

@-^---     ~*~*~*~     ---^-@

            Twenty minutes later, Lulu wasn't sure she could last until their next rest stop. She had to force her overtaxed muscles to move her legs forward, and each step caused a burning in her legs, from lack of oxygen to her muscles. However, her fortitude remained; she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. 

            "Halt." The commanding voice of Auron brought a stop to the company's procession. Lulu's plaited hair swirled as she turned to narrow her eyes at the older guardian. 

            'He isn't going to confront me about my fatigue,' she assured herself silently. 

            "Hey, what's going on, man?" Tidus asked, putting his hands behind his head and walking towards Auron. 

            "Hush!" he told Tidus, slashing his arm through the air in emphasis. 

            The group held its collective breath, listening to the night surrounding them. The land seemed to be holding its breath, as well. The tall grasses they were standing in, once alive with the wind, were still. There was no sound at all. 

            "It's quiet," Rikku noted, and Lulu bit back a retort about stating the obvious. 

            Wakka frowned. "And we haven't seen a fiend yet."

            "I had hoped that once we left the forest, things would return to normal," Yuna admitted, and Lulu noticed that the summoner's knuckles were white as she clutched her staff.

            "In the forest," Tidus spoke up, "we thought that another fiend was scaring off all the smaller fiends, right? Maybe that's still the case." 

            "But we've put a lot of distance between us and the forest," Yuna said, looking troubled. 

            Lulu tried focusing on the conversation, but her vision began to get blurry. She blinked forcefully, but that only made her dizzy. Her companions' voices faded in and out. 

            "So what's going on?" Tidus asked, and the mage struggled to concentrate on his voice. 

            "There's only one explanation." Her vision dimmed, so she used her hearing to recognize the deep voice as Auron's. She focused on his unique cadence. 

            "The fiend must have followed us," he said. 

            Her legs gave out. 

            "Lulu!" Yuna cried. 

            She fainted. 

            _The pungent smell of crushed grass assaulted Lulu's olfactory sense. She blinked her eyes open wearily, finding her face smashed against the ground. She raised her body into a seated position, squinting against the glaring sunlight. She was still in the grassy field, but it was midday, and her companions were nowhere to be seen. She stood on shaky legs, brushing off bits of leaves that clung to the folds of her skirt. She remembered collapsing when the group had stopped to talk. _

_            "Yuna!" she called, gazing around at the barren field. "Wakka! Auron!" Her voice echoed hollowly. _

_            'They wouldn't have left me,' she told herself. But empty land stretched on for miles, and not a single person was in sight. She paused, suddenly considering something. If the last thing she remembered was collapsing…_

_            'I must be dreaming,' she determined. _

_            ~No!~ came a startlingly sharp command. ~This is real. It **feels **real. Feel the grass, the sun, the wind. No dream is so vivid.~ _

_            Lulu found herself believing this voice of reason within her. She gazed around at the still grass. It **did** feel real. Terribly real. _

_            "Yuna!" she tried again, beginning to walk through the empty field, not quite knowing where she was headed. She paused to collect her bearings once more. _

_            She had collapsed when it was still nighttime…just approaching midnight. But now, the sun was high in the sky, signaling the noon hour. She had been out for an awfully long time. Again, she wondered if she'd been dreaming. _

_            ~Does this **feel** like a dream?~_

_            'No. It doesn't.'_

_            ~Then it's real. You must believe what you feel.~_

_            She hesitated at taking this advice, considering she never quite used her feelings as a judgment. She always tried to remain objective, no matter what the circumstances. She flirted with the idea of abandonment once more. Could the company have left her behind because she was holding them back? Lulu wasn't exactly an optimistic person, but she had trouble believing someone like Yuna would desert her. _

_            Did something happen to them? _

_            Lulu couldn't see any real signs of a battle or struggle nearby. _

_            "You look perplexed," said a familiar female voice. _

_            Lulu whirled around to face her companion. "Yuna! Where have you been?"_

_            The young summoner had a blank countenance, and was looking at the mage dully. "I wanted to simply leave you, but the group decided it was best if I at least came to say goodbye."_

_            "Goodbye?" Lulu echoed warily. Yuna's normally bright, calm voice was now flat and monotonous. "Are you alright, Yuna? You don't look or sound well."_

_            "We don't need you anymore, Lulu." _

_            Lulu struggled to find her voice. "We?"_

_            "My guardians and I. We know you've been struggling, and you're bringing us down. We've decided you shouldn't come with us anymore." Yuna turned to leave, and the mage finally found her voice. _

_            "I don't believe you." On shaky legs, she confronted Yuna. "You must be an imposter. The real Yuna would never abandon a companion—no, a friend—so callously. **I don't believe you**." _

_            The summoner smiled without a touch of joy in her expression. "Oh, you are deluding yourself. You can't accept the fact that you're not needed, and you're afraid to admit that you have needs as well. But my pilgrimage has no room for weakness, Lulu, and you are weighing me down. It's time you gave up." _

_            Confused and hurt, Lulu lashed out. "I have never given up, and I don't plan to."_

_            "You are worthless—"  _

_            "NO!"_

_            "We have no use for you—"_

_            "No!"_

_            "Give up!"_

_            "No…"_

_            "Give up, Lulu…"_

_            Full of despair, trying desperately to grasp to some semblance of control, Lulu fell to her knees and gazed at the ground, gathering her strength. _

_            'I know Yuna. She would never do this. Never. This is a dream. This is—'_

_            ~Real! Look!~_

_            Obeying the phantom voice, Lulu's eyes rose to the spot where Yuna had been standing. There, in her place, stood Sir Auron. _

_            "Why can't you believe Yuna?" he asked rhetorically, not waiting for an answer before continuing. "You've known for awhile now that your strength is diminishing. You're getting weaker exponentially, and you've been afraid of compromising Yuna's quest. Why is it so hard to believe that Yuna herself might come to realize the threat you pose, and increase her chance of defeating Sin by cutting you loose."_

_            Auron's calm, rational explanation broke through Lulu's conviction._

_            ~He's right. He's right.~_

_            'He's right. He's right.'_

_            She didn't stop to wonder how he knew that she was questioning her abilities; she just accepted it as fact. And she wasn't at all surprised when he knelt beside her and folded her into his arms. _

_            "It hurts, doesn't it?" he asked in a low voice. His breath against the delicate shell of her ear sent a rush of chills down her spine. "It hurts that they would abandon you in your time of weakness. How does it feel? Is it gut wrenching? Or is it a sharp pang to your heart, like a sword cruelly stabbing and sadistically twisting? Does it ache? Does it burn?"_

_            His words caused alarms to go off in her head. His voice no longer held the seductive quality, and she shoved violently away from him, falling out of his embrace and onto the ground. _

She blinked from her quick fall, surprised that the sun was no longer shining. The moonlight illuminated her companions, who were gathered in a circle around her. She frowned, confused. 

            "Everyone came back?" Lulu asked. How long had she been out? The sun was shining when she pulled away from Sir Auron, but it was nighttime once more. 

            "What do you mean, came back?" Tidus inquired, reaching a hand to scratch at his blonde hair. 

            Confusion muddled Lulu's senses, and she fought for recognition of reality. "But everyone left. I…" she trailed off, unwilling to give her thoughts away. Had she imagined it? Was she delusional? Was this a hallucination? A dream? "How long have I been out?"

            "Only a few moments…we've been trying to wake you," Yuna said, her voice filled with compassion. The summoner leaned in close to Lulu, placing a hand against her cheek. Lulu flinched. 

            The mage tried to ignore Yuna's hurt expression. 'So it was all a dream,' she thought to herself. Letting out an almost inaudible sigh, Lulu buried her head in her hands. This was real. 

            Her disorientation unnerved her, but she tried not to let it show. She stood on shaky legs. 

            "What's everyone standing around for?" she questioned, hiding her weakness with false enthusiasm. "We'd better get moving again." Lulu could feel everyone watching her, scrutinizing her every move. 

            After an awkward pause, Yuna said, "Actually, it's probably in our best interest to rest here for the night. We can get a fresh start in the morning."

            "That's a great idea!" Tidus agreed, a bit too readily. "Especially since we've been traveling all night. We need to break our nocturnal habits." 

            "Yeah! And I'm really tired." Rikku stifled a fake yawn. 

            Disgusted with the way they were trying to protect her, Lulu walked away from the group, picking up her discarded moogle doll. She picked at the moogle's soft skin, trying to organize her tumbling thoughts. Her inability to discern fantasy from reality was severely threatening. The situation she struggled desperately to control wasn't improving. Rather, it was worsening. She felt someone approach her, and her spine stiffened, but she acknowledged the familiar gait. Wakka.

            "Hey, Lu," he greeted softly. She offered him a nod, but didn't attempt a smile. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "You've been actin' kinda weird lately. Anything you wanna talk about?"

            "I'll be fine," she told him. After his uncertain look, she added, "But thank you."

            He smiled, his teeth flashing white against his tan skin. "Well, if you ever need to talk, you know where to turn, ya?"

            She let out a small sigh of relief when he walked back towards the group. Her relief was short-lived when she felt, rather than heard, someone else approaching. 

            "You claimed you could handle it," Auron said. She was surprised to find him closer than she had anticipated. She turned to face him, and blinked rapidly as they stood nose-to-nose. She backed up, ashamed at the way his intimidation worked, but unable to react any differently. 

            "I am handling it," Lulu declared, keeping her head held high. He didn't answer, simply stared at her coolly. She swallowed. They would have stayed in this stalemate all night, by Auron seemed to come to a realization within himself, and his entire demeanor changed. 

            "It's not enough, is it?" he asked, his voice low. She shook her head. 

            They were out of earshot from the rest of the company, but they were still within sight, even with the faint moonlight. 

            "Tell me what's happening," he implored, and Lulu faintly noted that she had never seen him act this way before. He reached a hand out and used the pads of his fingers to delicately trace her jaw. "Let me try and help you. As strong as you are, you can't handle this." His hand fell away, but her face still felt warm. 

            He didn't push any more, and finally, she answered, "I can't stop them."

            "Stop what?"

            "The dreams."

            He looked at her closely, his face inscrutable. "What kind of dreams." She looked at him blankly. "Tell me about them."

            "It's…" she paused, gathering her thoughts. "It's like…jumping from one emotion to the next. Happiness, fear, lust, love…I'm jerked from one situation to the next, and awake feeling as though I haven't rested at all."

            "Is this a recent development, or has this always happened?"

            She shook her head. "Just recently." In a sudden display of emotion, she growled, "I **hate** this!"

            Slightly miffed at the unusual outburst, Auron asked, "Why?"

            Lulu looked at him, her claret eyes wide and unblinking. "Because I can't stop them."

@-^--- To Be Continued ---^-@


End file.
